First SpaceX booster for upgraded Starship fails during test in Texas
Booster 18, SpaceX's upgraded Starship V3 first-stage, suffered major LOX tank damage during pressure testing with no injuries, delaying NASA's lunar landing timeline, SpaceX said.
- SpaceX rolled out an upgraded version of its Starship rocket booster in South Texas on Thursday to begin testing, and just a few hours later, something inside it exploded.
- The booster was the first major piece of what SpaceX is referring to as Starship version three, or V3.
- Starship V3 is supposed to be larger, more powerful, more reliable, and capable of docking other Starships in orbit around the Earth – a crucial piece of SpaceX's plan for getting to the Moon and Mars.
40 Articles
40 Articles
First SpaceX booster for upgraded Starship fails during test in Texas
A towering first-stage booster for an upgraded version of SpaceX's Starship rocket suffered a predawn testing failure in Texas on Friday, potentially complicating the company's push to prove the rocket's moon-landing abilities for NASA,...
First next-generation Starship booster damaged in testing
The first booster in the new generation of Starship vehicles suffered significant damage during a Nov. 21 test, adding to doubts about the vehicle’s development schedule. The post First next-generation Starship booster damaged in testing appeared first on SpaceNews.
The first-stage launch vehicle for the modernised version of SpaceX's Starship exploded during a test in Texas. This could slow down the NASA landing program on the Moon, reports Reuters. Boster 18 seems to have just exploded test at the Massey outpost. pic.twitter.com/fmVdYPmWvA - LabPadre Space (@LabPadre) November 21, 2025 The incident took place on the Starbase site and was recorded by observers who broadcast it in real time. The company con…
SpaceX's 1st 'Version 3' Super Heavy Starship booster buckles under pressure during initial tests
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. More testing will be needed before SpaceX's newest version of Starship gets off the ground. On Thursday (Nov. 20), SpaceX rolled out Booster 18, the first stage of the company's first "Version 3"…
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